


Kiss Me On The Dance Floor

by bluehairedbaby (orphan_account)



Category: Little Mix (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - High School, Ballet Dancer Jade Thirlwall, Ballet Dancer Perrie Edwards, Bisexual Perrie Edwards, Dancing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Gay Jade Thirlwall, Girls Kissing, high school sweethearts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26200297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/bluehairedbaby
Summary: "Heels inward. Toes pointed outward. Lift your arms. Breathe."---All her life, Perrie's known that she was going to dance. When her mother finally relents and lets her attend Regent's Hall, an elite, all-girls dance school, her goal is clear: become a great dancer. However, after meeting the talented and beautiful Jade, the top of the class, things shift. An attempt at friendship turns into a rivalry, and insults soon turn to arguments. Perrie just never expected anything more to blossom between them.
Relationships: Jade Thirwall & Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards & Jesy Nelson & Leigh-Anne Pinnock & Jade Thirwall, Perrie Edwards & Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards/Jade Thirlwall
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Home

_ Heels inward. Toes pointed outward. Lift your arms. Breathe.  _

All her life, Perrie knew that she was going to be dancing on a stage in front of a whole crowd. Her mother knew it too. Maybe it was when Perrie stood up on the kitchen table when she was three, kicking her legs out and flexing her toes, that Debbie finally reached her wit’s end and enrolled her in a children’s ballet class. It was a whole new environment, and Perrie was very shy at first. She mostly kept to herself, following and skipping after her instructors, but by the end of the first year she was at the front of the room, dancing proudly for everyone’s praise. With a grin on her face and her arms held high, Perrie jumped and kicked and turned, a thrill rushing through her tiny little head. 

That was probably when she knew. 

From then on, her life was dance. Everything revolved around it. She’d beg her mum to take her to more advanced classes by the time she was nine, and that was when her real talent started to show. Her moves were more graceful and less gawkish, she never missed a beat, she still grinned, but there was a serious look in her eyes that passed the maturity of her years. She stopped looking for approval once she realized how good she was. 

So she begged her mum again- this time, for her to go to a professional school, where she could spend all her time learning how to dance. She was barely twelve. Debbie shook her head,a grave look on her face. Perrie was her baby- she was scared of letting her leave the house so soon. Almost immediately after she gave her answer, Perrie’s face began to fall, and her bottom lip quivered as tears brimmed her clear blue eyes. She’d swallowed hard, holding her head up high, not daring to let a single one of those tears fall.

They argued for what felt like hours. Eventually, Debbie promised Perrie one thing: “We’ll reconsider this when you’re older.” And they did once she turned sixteen. 

Debbie was worried that Perrie wouldn’t receive a regular education, but after looking at the courses some of the schools offered, her fears were slightly relieved. She was also worried about what Perrie might get into if Debbie wasn’t there, especially at such a young age. Debbie trusted her, but it was just an incessant fear in her gut. Perrie promised her mum that she’d be responsible, and she made a mental note to prove to her that she could be responsible while under stress. 

Debbie debated with herself for over a month, trying to make a decision. Perrie was finishing secondary education this year, so the transition from regular school to boarding school would make sense, in theory. She’d still be getting a proper education, so that concern could be dismissed. And Perrie was a good kid. Debbie trusted her, and she’d noticed how Perrie would come straight home just to begin working on her homework before she’d go practice in the living room. She’d noticed all the extra effort that her daughter was putting in, which just went to show how determined Perrie was to go to dancing school. 

Plus, Perrie was passionate about this. She was working so hard to go, and Debbie hadn’t even given her final answer. She knew that being able to go would make Perrie the happiest in the world, just given the amount of time and effort she was willing to put in just for the possibility of being allowed to go. 

So Debbie said yes. 

They toured a couple of the schools Perrie had researched. They seemed nice, and all of them had lovely programs, but none of them had felt quite right. Until they visited Regent’s Hall, an all girls school. Almost as soon as Perrie got back to their hotel room, she looked them up online. She spent hours watching their performances, obsessed with their graceful dancers, some of whom weren’t even as old as she was yet! Their arms moved in flowing motions, all synchronized with each other, like a ripple in a pool of water. Perrie had to go there. 

She couldn’t stop grinning once she found out she was accepted. 

Their family spent the whole summer preparing for her departure. Packing and buying tickets, yes, but also getting ready to say goodbye. It was hard for them to imagine their house without her in it, exuding life and vibrance. She was always dancing or singing, and Debbie was especially scared of how quiet the house would suddenly be. But she took it in her stride as she put on a brave face, holding her tears back as she kissed her daughter’s face one more time before Perrie boarded the train headed up north, their hands holding on until the last minute. Perrie peeked her head out of the window as her family grew smaller and smaller, until she couldn’t see them in the distance anymore. 

So she sat in the train compartment, across from a lovely old lady who was almost asleep at this point. She sighed softly, leaning against the window, her cheek pressed against the cold glass. She was an hour from home and an hour away from her new school. All she needed was a little patience, and she’d get there. 

So she waited as patiently as she could. It wasn’t fun. She got bored. The old lady across from her fell asleep, so there was absolutely nobody to talk to, and her phone wasn’t getting cellular service anymore. She wished she could call her mum, or her friends. She made a point to call them as soon as she was connected to the Internet again. For the majority of the ride, she sat with her hands in her lap, the soft material of her brand new skirt brushing up against her skin. 

But soon, she was there. She woke the old lady and wished her goodbye, she practically ran down the corridor with her suitcase until the attendant told her to stop it, and as soon as her feet hit the pavement of the city, she walked in the drizzling rain to hail a cab. 

Perrie held her breath patiently, tapping her foot against the floor of the taxi in excitement. She’d visited here before, but she wasn’t quite used to the sights of the city, and she constantly found herself looking at buildings that were familiar but still so strange. She was jittering so much, she didn’t understand how she didn’t annoy the hell out of the cab driver. Or maybe she did, and he just did a good job of suffering in silence. 

Maybe the idea of a new school hit her when she asked to go all those years ago. Maybe it dawned upon her when she was accepted. Or maybe, it wasn’t until the cab driver turned and for the first time, she saw her new school- not just any old school she’d been touring,  _ her  _ school- and the tall brick buildings and beautiful lawns, that the reality of going to Regent’s Hall finally struck Perrie. 

Her jaw dropped, and she was so awestruck that she only barely remembered to thank and tip her cab driver. 

Walking up the pathway, paved with red bricks, she felt like a fish out of water. She could feel herself gaping at everything and everyone there, and she kept having to close her mouth and try not to stare at everyone. She could see people staring at her, and she suddenly felt like she had to be more reserved. She watched the way the girls even  _ walked  _ gracefully, then looked down at her own awkward gait, feeling rather out of place. She waved, and one of them waved back. She smiled nicely, but she was gone before Perrie could even really see her. All that she saw was the friendly smile in her mind, and that was enough for Perrie. She’d had to find her again later. 

With a wide smile, she reached for the tall doors of Regent’s Hall, grasping her fingers around an icy cold handle and pulling towards herself. 

The hallway seemed to go on forever- which, clearly, it couldn’t. But it all seemed even bigger and better than when she and her mum had walked through them on their tour. Students were just mingling around. Some of the girls were dressed neatly in their strict uniform, holding themselves with poise, and others just leaned back, a couple buttons undone and their blazers folded, held at their sides. Perrie finally felt herself relax when she saw the other new students, dressed in coats like hers and carrying suitcases like hers. It was comforting to know that she wasn’t the only new girl there. 

“Hello!” A teacher called, dressed in a neat pencil skirt and blouse. She smiled warmly and genuinely, the skin beside her eyes crinkling slightly as she extended a hand for Perrie to shake. “I’m Ms. Hart, and you are?” 

“Perrie Edwards,” the girl answered breathlessly. “S’ nice to meet you.” Ms. Hart nodded, shaking Perrie’s hand enthusiastically. “The pleasure is all mine,” she said. “I’m so happy you’ve chosen to attend Regent’s Hall this year. And especially joining our dance program, that’s always exciting,” she added, winking. 

“I love dancing,” Perrie blurted out shamelessly. “I’ve wanted to go to a dance school since I was twelve.” The teacher raised her eyebrows in surprise. “It’s nice to know what enthusiastic students we have,” she said, not dropping her smile. “If you don’t mind, why don’t i show you to your dorm?”

“That sounds great,” Perrie said, following the woman as they turned down a hallway, walking down the corridor and exiting out one door. Perrie was talking to her almost the entire time. “You know, my mum didn’t want me to go here for a while, but she changed her mind now that I’m sixteen,” she said, bouncing in her step. “I had a birthday a few months ago. My mum was sad, but it's fine because my family doesn’t live too far away. That’s good, I guess. I’m going to visit them for the holidays and stuff,” she added. 

The teacher never responded once. Perrie didn’t really pick up on that at the time. Later, she realized that Ms. Hart was probably just waiting for her to stop speaking, or until they reached her dorm finally. 

“Here we are,” Ms. Hart said with a slight sigh, reaching for the door. Perrie closed her mouth, pursing her lips with a little smile. She still bounced up and down, her hair loosely hanging out of her ponytail. “This is the East Wing,” the teacher said, smiling more softly now, “there’s twenty rooms per wing, two girls per room. You’ll have a key, just a minute,” she murmured, fishing around in the pocket of her skirt. “There you go,” she added, handing Perrie a small paper envelope. Marked with  **E-24,** Perrie could feel the outline of the key, the envelope sitting heavy inside the palm of her hand. 

“You’re going to be staying in Room 24, down the hall,” Ms. Hart continued. “Your roommate has already unpacked, I don’t believe she’s there right now. I’ll be posted at the front of the school if you have any questions. You’ll be asked to wear your uniform on weekdays, but on weekends you are allowed to wear what you wish, so long as you’re within the dress code. No shorts or skirts shorter than your fingertips and no low cut tops, please,” she added. Perrie nodded, making a mental check to sort through her clothes and try and find something that was  _ appropriate _ , so to say.

“Well, I hope you’ll have a nice start here,” Ms. Hart finished. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Bye!” Perrie called, already bustling down the hallway before Ms. Hart could even finish her sentence. She grinned again, pulling the key from the envelope and fitting it inside the lock of the door. She opened the room, and took a breath. 

So this was home now. 

  
  



	2. A New Friend

“Hey, Mum,” Perrie said, smiling as she held the phone up to her ear. She sat on the bed, her coat thrown over the chair at her desk. She leaned against the pillows, fingering the hem of her sweater. She heard her mum sigh softly on the other end, but it was more out of relief or contentment than frustration. “Hello, love,” Debbie said softly, and Perrie could practically hear her smile through the phone. 

“Are you at school yet?” She asked. Perrie nodded as she answered, “Yeah. It’s nice here. I’m in my dorm; I haven’t met my roommate yet but she should be here soon. The room’s kinda pretty,” she added, trailing her finger over the white walls of her room, “but it’s also kinda boring. Maybe I could hang a couple posters up or something. I brought some photos I’m going to hang above my desk, I made sure of that.” Debbie chuckled, and Perrie blushed, smiling wide. 

She always felt a sense of pride when making other people happy. Once, she’d been on an online forum and she saw one of her friends make a post about nasty comments on their social media posts. She’d been sitting across from Perrie at the time, and she looked like she was about to cry, so Perrie made an anonymous account, writing a comment the length of an essay about everything she knew would help cheer her up. Perrie had watched her friends’ eyes light up, the corners of her lips pulling up into a smile. And that was one of the best feelings in the world, knowing that it was Perrie herself that had made her friend smile so happily. She still hadn’t told her the anonymous account was her yet, and she didn’t really ever think she would. 

There was just something rewarding about that feeling, and Perrie didn’t want to spoil it by getting too cocky. 

She rambled on a bit more about school and how exactly she was going to decorate her new room, and maybe she’d even get her new roommate to match with her, because that would be amazing. Eventually, she ran out of breath, and her mum seized the opportunity to speak again while Perrie hesitated.

“I’m so glad that you’re having a nice time,” Debbie said. “I didn’t know if you’d have trouble acclimating, but I’m happy to hear that things are going well so far.” Perrie smiled. “Thanks,” she said softly. “I can’t wait for class to start Monday. I already met one of my teachers, and she’s just lovely, Mum, you should really meet her when you come to visit.”

There was silence on the other line. For a moment, Perrie thought that the sound had cut out. She even had to check her phone to make sure her mum hadn’t accidentally hung up. “I will keep that in mind,” Debbie said eventually. Perrie frowned. “Are you ok?” She asked, a little concerned. She heard a sigh, and then, “I’m not sure when we’ll be able to visit, love.”

Perrie sat in silence as Debbie continued, “We talked about this, babes- I won’t be able to see you every day from here on out. We can call if you want, I promise. But you won’t be able to come and go from school to home anytime. I have work, and you should be focusing on your studies. I promise to see you in a month, for the holidays,” she added sympathetically.” Perrie nodded, solemnly. She’d understood all this beforehand- this was just the first time it was truly sinking in. And also for the first time, she felt a little selfish for having insisted on going to such a fancy school away from everyone. Because not only was the tuition high, but now she wouldn’t even be seeing her family- in perspective, it seemed like a bratty thing to do, to get away from her parents while still living off their money. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she said absentmindedly. “I can’t wait to see you. We’re going to have a lot of fun.” She could practically hear the smile through her mother’s sigh on the other end of a phone line. “I can’t wait to see you then,” Debbie said happily, and Perrie couldn’t help but smile. “Me too,” she said.

“Is it ok to call you back later?” Debbie said suddenly, “I just got an email from my boss-”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Perrie said, a little wistfully.  _ Please don’t go. _

“Are you sure?” Debbie asked reassuredly.  _ No.  _

“Yes,” Perrie said, shaking her head. “Go- I’ll be fine, don’t you worry about me.”

“I’ll always worry about you, love,” Debbie promised. Perrie smiled. “I love you,” she said. “I love you too, Pez,” Debbie answered, right before Perrie closed her finger over the  **‘end call’** button. 

And then she was all alone. Well, she technically was before, but now Perrie finally felt alone. She was just sitting on her new bed with her phone in her hand. There was no one to talk to, Lord knows when she’d meet her new roommate or if she’d even be here that day. 

Perrie felt bored. 

With a sigh, she picked herself up off of the comforter, reaching for her bags. She was sure that she packed a notebook in there somewhere, and there were a couple pens on her desk already. If she couldn’t talk with anyone, she would write. Maybe a letter, or a plan, or even some lyrics to try and clear her mind. 

With a triumphant grin, she pulled her purple notebook out of her suitcase, unintentionally dragging out a couple of her shirts and even a bra, but she didn’t really care. There wasn’t any shame in it, so long as she was alone. 

Perrie had been having an idea in her head for a while, and she just wanted to get it out in paper form, so she could look at it and decide whether or not it would be a good idea to write more of. Maybe this idea would make a good poem. 

_ “Hold me,”  _ Perrie mused, chewing on the end of her pencil.  _ “Hold me,  _ um,  _ hold me on the dance floor,”  _ she added, smiling triumphantly. It was a start. Maybe even a good start. But as hard as Perrie thought, she couldn’t for the life of her find any words inside her busy brain to write after that one phrase. So she sat on the floor, digging through her own memories. 

It was a romantic line. That was how she saw it at the very least. It made sense, because who other than a lover would you ask to hold you on a dance floor? But that was the problem. Perrie was, to be completely honest (because there was really no other way to put it) absolutely inexperienced when it came to romance. Hadn’t even been kissed. Which had its perks, for instance, she’d never had her heart broken, which was nice- but still, she was almost seventeen, and she hadn’t even been kissed. And now she was at an all girls school, and it didn’t seem like she would have any suitors lining up outside of her door any time soon. 

Perrie was slowly losing herself in her lonely thoughts by the time the door opened. She looked up just as another girl came in. She was very pretty, with darker skin and curls pulled up into a ponytail. She smiled at Perrie almost instantly. 

“Hi!” She cried, leaning forward and extending a hand. “You must be my roommate!” Perrie grinned back at her. “And I’d assume that you’re mine,” she joked. “I’m Perrie.”

“Leigh-Anne,” the other girl said with one of the biggest and prettiest smiles Perrie had ever seen. Leigh-Anne was an open book, Perrie noted. It was nice to know someone who wore their heart out on their sleeve. Perrie resolved to become fast friends with her. 

“That’s a pretty name,” Perrie said. Leigh-Anne blushed at the compliment. “Aww,” she said bashfully. “Thank you. Yours too! I like your name a lot.” 

“Thanks,” Perrie said. “My parents were Journey fans, so they wanted to name me after Steve Perry. I’m glad they changed the spelling, I think it’s a little nicer,” she added. Leigh-Anne nodded. “Really?” She said curiously. “How do you like to spell it? Just to be clear?” 

“P-E-R-R-I-E,” she answered. Leigh-Anne smiled again. “Thanks,” she said. “Oh, and you can call me Leigh if you want. S’ a little shorter.” 

“Nice,” Perrie grinned, laughing softly. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Leigh.” The other girl smiled. “You too,” she said. “I’m glad you’re my roommate this year,” she added. “Mine last year was in Year 12, and she was proper awful. She always had nasty things to say. I’m so glad she’s graduated.” 

“Ah, sorry to hear about that,” Perrie said apologetically. “So, you’ve been going here a while?” She asked. 

“S’ my second year,” Leigh answered. “I’m graduating after next year, thank God,” she added with a sigh of relief, which made Perrie laugh. “Me too,” Perrie said, “except this is my first year.” Leigh sat down on her bed, still looking down at Perrie with a twinkling curiosity in her brown eyes and a soft smile to her lips. “So, you like dancing?” She asked. Perrie nodded eagerly. 

“Ever since I was little,” she answered enthusiastically. “I’ve wanted to go to school for it for a while and this is the first time my parents have relented.” Leigh smiled. “That’s fun,” she said. “It’s good when you really enjoy what you do.” 

Perrie nodded. “Do you?” She asked Leigh. The other girl shrugged. “Kinda,” she answered nonchalantly. “It’s fun, I mean, and the teachers are great, I just don’t think ballet is my thing. My mum signed me up for lessons when I was younger,” she added, her lips pressed together in a way that told Perrie that Leigh didn’t really have a say in going here. “I think she just wants to see me be more- you know,” she gestured gracefully with her arms, “like a lady.” 

Perrie smiled. “What do you like to do?” She asked Leigh. The other girl grinned. “I like dancing to hip hop,” she said excitedly, almost like telling a secret. “And I want to be a star- like Beyoncé,” Leigh added, grinning. 

Perrie smiled. “I’ll be sitting in the front row on your world tour,” she promised. “Cheering you on the whole time.” 

Leigh giggled, clutching at her uniform skirt. Perrie felt a little distanced from her roommate, given that she hadn’t even changed out of her regular clothing yet. But at the same time, there was such a natural grace to their conversation, it was like they’d known each other for years rather than five minutes. Maybe they were destined to be friends. 

“I’m glad you’re my roommate too,” Perrie echoed, and Leigh grinned, blushing again. “That’s nice to hear.” And as if she’d just noticed Perrie’s untouched suitcases on the floor, her eyes widened, and she sat up. Perrie could practically see the cogs turning inside her head. 

“Do you need help with those?” Leigh said, pointing. Perrie smiled, but she shook her head. “No worries, I’ll unpack this evening,” she answered. Leigh pursed her lips. “I already put my clothes and stuff away in the closet- it’s all to the right side, I hope that’s ok,” she added, turning back towards Perrie, who had not yet risen from the floor. She laughed. 

“Don’t worry,” she said reassuringly. “I don’t mind- really,” she added, seeing the worried furrow in between Leigh’s eyebrows. “I can do all that later, don’t worry about it.”

Leigh nodded, relaxing again. “Well, then, why don’t I show you around at least?” She offered. “There’s this cafe off campus- and upperclassmen are allowed to leave campus outside of school hours,” she added. “What do you think?” 

Perrie smiled. “That sounds really nice,” she said, looking forward to being shown around by her new friend. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!


End file.
